The Sept. 14 editorial titled "The UN and Sheriff Bolton" claims that
the United Nations has been corrupt for years and that finally the
United States is standing up to this world body and demanding reform.
"Americans can be proud of their government's long overdue assault on
UN timidity, negligence and corruption," wrote the editorial board.

Unfortunately there is absolutely no blame placed on the United
States for the current obsoleteness of the United Nations. The board
seems to believe that all nations but America want the United Nations
to remain unchanged. It asserts that " . . . too many nations have
stakes in the derelict status quo." It fails to mention that the
United States also wants the status quo maintained.

For years the American government has ignored its responsibility to
the world community, using its power on the Security Council to put
an end to any UN efforts that it did not agree with.

Examples include the United States vetoing more than 70 resolutions
since the inception of the United Nations. Most of these resolutions
were supported by a majority of member states. More than 30 were
critical of Israeli actions against Palestinians, and one reason why
the conflict has yet to be resolved is because any real effort by the
United Nations to take action against Israel has been stopped by the U.S. veto.

The United States has been indifferent and hostile to the United
Nations. It has acted several times unilaterally instead of waiting
for this international organization to discuss and choose the moral
path of action. American governments have withheld dues to ensure the
UN secretary general fully understands that all the UN does must be
approved by the U.S.

John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, is not doing anything
extraordinary by criticizing the United Nations and calling for
reforms. The extraordinary thing will be if he or some American
official finally admits the United States has cared more for its
national interests than for ensuring the United Nations becomes a
viable organization for the entire world.